[Aiming to be the World's Largest] International Anime & Character Design Contest 'The GIANT Hunt' to be Held

India-based IMAGE Infotainment Limited (Image Group) has announced 'The GIANT Hunt,' an international project aiming to become one of the world's largest anime and character design contests. The total prize pool amounts to approximately $330,000 USD (approximately 52 million Japanese yen, subject to exchange rates), representing one of the largest scales for such a competition. The project also plans to challenge for a Guinness World Record. This contest is a global creative platform for artists, students, and anime fans worldwide, aiming to facilitate cross-border creative exchange and discover new talent. ■ A Global Contest Open to Creators Worldwide Applications are open to those aged 8 and above. Judging will be conducted in three categories: ・Ages 8-15 ・Ages 16-24 ・Ages 25 and over Entries may be hand-drawn or digital, but AI-generated or AI-assisted works are strictly prohibited, as the project emphasizes evaluating human creativity itself. The application period runs from April 1 to June 30, 2026. Results are expected to be announced in late July, with the award ceremony taking place at 'The GIANT Hunt Anime Festival 2026' in Chennai, India, on August 8-9, 2026. ■ Largest-Ever Prizes and Rewards Luxurious prizes are prepared for the contest, including: ・Grand Prize: An apartment equivalent to $100,000 USD ・Category Prizes: Cars, motorcycles, gold coins, PlayStation consoles, etc. ・Nine participants selected from within India will receive a trip to Japan *International winners (outside India) will be awarded the equivalent value in USD. *Participants meeting the requirements will be awarded a Guinness World Record participation certificate. ■ Educational Opportunities Provided for All Levels To enable everyone to challenge world-class standards, the project provides educational content, including: ・Over 50 tutorial videos (multi-language support including Japanese, English, and Hindi) ・Online seminars by professional manga artists (started in May, with 9 sessions on character design already conducted) ■ International Judging Panel The judging will be performed by creators from around the world. Notable Japanese creators active in animation production, character design, visual design, and illustration are also scheduled to participate as judges. The official announcement of the jury will be made shortly. ・Anjan Cariyappa (IMAGE Group Design Head / Artist, Manga Artist, Animator) ・Shambhu Falke (Consultant / Head of AI Content at Rocket Reels Vertical Microdrama OTT Mumbai) ・Nina Sabnani (Film Director, 2D Animator / AniMela India Festival Director) ・Taseeb Khurana (2D Animator, Animation Director / Founder of Toon Club India) ・Jashil Homavasi (2D Animation Professional / Manga Series Creator) ■ A Project Questioning 'Human Creativity' in the AI Era K. Kumar, founder and CEO of Image Group, states: 'Our vision is to build a platform that supports talent and connects it with the world. Now that AI is changing the landscape of creativity, we must reaffirm the value of human imagination. 'The GIANT Hunt' will be the largest stage in the world where creators from all over the globe can be fairly evaluated and become part of history.' Additionally, Design Head Anjan Cariyappa expressed respect for Japanese animation culture: 'Japan has established unique storytelling and clear styles, creating stories that resonate deeply with minimal movement and precise backgrounds. In this contest, we emphasize not just the skill of drawing, but the creative power to generate original characters.'